Brassica oleracea is a single species that encompasses the vegetables we know as kale, collards, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. It’s hard to
Growing potatoes is a great way to produce a substantial meal from your garden. Potatoes serve a multi-functional role in the garden rotation, smothering weeds as you hill them up, loosening compacted soil with their tenacious roots and tubers, and providing you with an opportunity to deeply amend your soil when you dig them at harvest time. Grocery store potatoes are limited in quality and variety, but if you grow your own potatoes you can choose from many different size, color, and flavor options. Click on the title to read the full article.
In the indigenous gardening method known as The Three Sisters, squash plants are used as a border around the growing space to deter animals who might cause damage. So much focus is placed on the two sisters (corn & beans), that it’s easy to overlook the third sister (squash!). Almost by accident, I created a squash border around my bee garden this summer, and it has worked magic for my raccoon problems. Read all about it in this article!
Through the years, I have found that the effort it takes to produce the best possible compost in the fastest possible way just isn’t worth it for my purposes. Instead, I’ve developed my own minimum-effort composting style. I no longer compost like a scientist, taking precise measurements and producing a perfect, predictable outcome. I now compost like the forest. I’m after making the largest quantity of compost possible with the smallest amount effort possible. And so I have evolved (devolved?) into a chaos composter. Read this article to learn all about chaos composting and how it may benefit your garden or farm!
This is my newest little garden. It’s also a compost pile. And, it’s a grave. When a few of my (very elderly) chickens recently passed away, I decided to do something a little different to honor their lives. Read all about it in this article!
I always plant my potatoes early, except for this year. This year, circumstances beyond my control prevented me from planting my spring garden until summer. My seed potatoes shriveled and sprouted in the window sill as the weeks went by. Even as my hope waned, I wondered how late is too late to plant potatoes. On the advice of a friend, I planted my seed potatoes in June. Here’s what happened.
Have you ever made a garden diagram? What would that look like if you had to scale it up to cover… oh, let’s say 2.5 acres? Read this article to learn all about the treasure map I created to keep track of my permaculture orchards.
Permaculturists often say, “the problem is the solution”. It’s a reminder that our problems can often be transformed through the power of creativity and innovation.
If there is one lesson above all others that this farm is teaching me, it is that true success is mutual. The land, the plants, the animals, the insects, the microbiota, the water, and the farmer… we all work together in building this farm, and whatever we create must nurture us all. And thus, an oak garden is born. What is an oak garden, and why? Read the full article to find out!
How many times have you found yourself noticing a new plant that you don’t recognize? Do you wonder if it’s safe to touch, good to eat, or medicinal? Could the plant be native, or might it be invasive? Establishing an accurate ID is important when making any management decision, such as weeding, mowing, planting, and thinning. It’s even more important when harvesting! Plant identification apps are useful to some extent, but they are often incorrect. In this article, I share my multi-step process for identifying new plants with confidence.
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